


A Short Drop and a Sudden Stop (Discontinued)

by Hubris_BNL



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Bar fights, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Fight Scenes, M/M, Multi, Peggy is missing ah!, Pirate AU, Polyamory, Swearing, aaron is pretty, alex is a major wad, but only in the first chapter, oh wait there she is, so far ;), sword fights
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7493811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hubris_BNL/pseuds/Hubris_BNL
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Co-written with wildflowers-and-a-nap.tumblr.com</p><p>Captain Aaron Burr sails the seas on the run, from his past, the British, and now a ship with a strange flag and an even stranger crew. Will he make it through his adventures alive as he comes to terms with his past? Or will he fall victim to it, a martyr strung up by the rope with a noose around his neck? Because piracy is in his blood, and doesn't every pirate get what they deserve? A short drop, and a sudden stop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dear Theodosia

**Author's Note:**

> *Co-written by @wildflowers-and-a-nap on tumblr go check out her amazing art! (Thank you Wild)  
> 

The proud Theodosia bobbed gently on the waves by the docks of New Providence, just off the Bahamian coast, her Captain trudging up the gangplank onto the top deck, his hand resting anxiously on the hilt of his sword.

There were soldiers nearby, he could smell it.

The wind rustled the sail’s of his ship and above him, the gulls screamed, circling the cliffs, searching for a morsel, just like everyone else. The boards creaked beneath his boots as he took in the town.

It was a den of sins to be sure, women beckoned to men in the streets, drunkards threw glass bottles from their windows, laughing raucously when they hit an unsuspecting citizen. Fist fights started in bars before rolling out onto the cobbled roads, it was chaos and Aaron Burr was thoroughly not impressed.

His first mate Charles Lee stood beside the ship, leaning against a post on the dock, flirting with one of the local barmaids. Not exactly uncommon, but annoying none the less. They needed to set sail before the British descended on this place like a swarm of locusts. 

“Mr. Lee,” Burr shouted from the railing, standing rigidly, a cold eye set on his first mate, “We set sail within the hour. Round up the crew if you please.”

He didn’t miss Lee’s sneer or slight huff as he looked up at his Captain. But he didn’t argue, only made his apologies to the young woman and went off into the town to collect the rest of the men. Aaron watched him go, resting his hand gently on the rail. Lee wasn’t a bad man, it was just that his heart wasn’t in it.

Piracy wasn’t for everyone.

Lee had approached Aaron first, five years ago. He was drunk out of his mind, a british soldier left behind by his battalion without a pot to piss in. He was angry, seeking revenge, and what better way to get back at the British than to start a life of piracy?

So Burr had taken him on, and Lee had stayed with him for five years, working his way up to first mate as Aaron’s crew changed with each passing year. They got along well enough, but over the past year, Aaron had noticed him drifting, wanting to stay longer at each port they stopped at, spending the days at sea moping in his cabin.

Aaron could understand it of course, but indecisiveness wouldn’t do on his crew. It only got people killed.

He stepped away from the railing, crossing the deck, his coat billowing in the ever growing wind. He looked out over the sea; the sky was growing dark, clouds rolling in, casting a dark shadow over the writhing waters.

It would be rough sailing, but that was a risk they needed to take. There was too much danger involved in staying, this place was practically a beacon for those damn soldiers, and Aaron didn’t exactly fancy being strung up by his neck.

Reaching the bow of the ship, Aaron leaned over the railing, his eyes moving from the sea to the carved wooden figurehead hovering above the waves. It was a woman, her eyes dark, staring unblinking over the ocean, her hair curled in the carven wood. Her face was soft, and a smile played on her lips. 

She looked at peace.

“Don’t worry Theodosia,” he muttered gently, eyes still on the figurehead, “We’ll be out to sea again soon. They won’t catch us.”

“Sir?” 

Burr turned, seeing Lee standing behind him with a number of his men at his back. Aaron surveyed the group, counting them in his head and raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Mr. Lee,” Aaron began, “Why are there three men missing?”

“It’s the Ogdens and Van Ness, sir.” Lee explained, tapping his foot nervously on the deck, “They, uh, aren’t exactly fit to sail.”

Aaron scowled, his eyes becoming dark as he glared at Lee. The other man seemed to shrink under his gaze, shuffling awkwardly. Burr’s lips curled up into a snarl as he asked,

“Which pub?”

Lee pointed in the direction of the tavern and Aaron was down the gangplank in a matter of seconds, marching through the streets, his shoulders hunched, eyes sharp, and fury etched into his face. He didn’t have time for this.

It didn’t exactly take him long to find the tavern where his men were, mostly because one of them came flying out the window, landing on the ground at his feet. The man looked absolutely pissed drunk as he lay on his back, his eyes glazed. They stared up at the sky before finding Aaron’s livid face.

“Oh, hullo Cap’n.”

“On your feet, Van Ness.” Burr bit out, his teeth clenched and eyes glaring.

“Yessir.”

William Van Ness struggled to stand, wobbling on his feet, leaning against the side of the building for support. Aaron scowled, turning from the man to open the door of the pub. 

**_CRASH_ **

A glass bottle exploded by his ear the moment he stepped inside, followed by roars of laughter. Burr’s eye twitched at the sight before him. Aaron and Matthias Ogden, two of the most reckless, immoral people he’d met on his travels, and they never failed to make life more difficult for Aaron.

“Watch out,  _ Captain Burr _ .” Matthias called out, grabbing at one of the barmaids, “We wouldn’t want to scratch that pretty face!”

Aaron saw red. His eyes flashed and he found himself marching across the bar, many patrons practically flying out of his way, not wanting to be caught up in whatever had the young captain so enraged. 

He came up right behind the two men and grabbed them roughly by their collars, hauling them out of their chairs and onto their feet.

“You both are a damn disgrace.” he snarled, beginning to drag the two out of the tavern.

The other Aaron tripped over his feet, attempting to take a swing at his captain, but Burr dodged the man’s drunken attempt with ease. Many of the men in the bar moved to the doorway to watch the young captain drag the two men, considerably more muscular than himself, down the road towards the ship.

The Ogdens scrambled to keep up, whacking at Aaron’s arms and trying to find their footing. But Aaron held firm, hands curled tightly around their collars, pulling roughly. 

They finally reached the docks, the wood creaking beneath their boots. But Burr didn’t stop there; he continued to the edge of the pier, before violently shoving them both into the water. Burr’s face became impassive as he took a step back, the water splashing up onto his boots.

The crew on the ship and the bar patrons who had followed them all roared with laughter as the brothers came sputtering up out of the water.

“Gentlemen,” Aaron began over the din of laughter, “We leave port in a quarter of an hour. If you both are not sober by that time, we will leave you behind, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Captain.” they both stammered, shaking slightly in the icy water, already very much sober.

Burr appraised them once more before spinning around on the heel of his boot and walking back towards the ship.

“Back to work!” he barked, watching the men scatter on deck as he climbed the gangplank. 

Stepping back onto the ship, Burr crossed the deck, going up the steps to stand beside the helm. His eyes scanned over the ship, his lips in a scowl as he watched his men go about their duties, Lee barking orders this way and that. 

There was order in the chaos of his ship, everyone knew what they were supposed to do and they did it, and those who didn’t were gotten rid of. 

That was how things were done on the Theodosia.

Burr must have been standing there longer than he thought, his mind wandering, because Charles Lee was now standing before him on the steps, calling his name.

“Captain, we’re ready to set sail.”

“Very good, Mr. Lee. And the Ogdens?”

“Sober as a judge and at their posts, sir.” Lee chuckled, and Aaron’s own lips quirked up into a small smile.

“Then what are we waiting for? Set the sails, Mr. Lee.”

“Aye sir.”

Aaron watched the great white sheets unfurl gracefully, taken up by the wind and rippling like the sea below. They puffed out as the air blew against them, and the ship creaked slightly as the waves began to bring them out to sea. 

The line was tied off and they were released from the dock, the tide lapping against the side of the boat as it teetered this way and that on the waves. Theodosia followed the tide out of the port and into open water. Aaron’s eyes went to the sky. The black clouds seemed to part farther out to sea, which, coincidentally, was where they were headed.

“Any particular direction, Captain?” Van Ness hollered from beside him at the wheel.

Aaron pulled out a compass from his breast pocket, jade green with a gold arrow and engraved directions. The name Esther Edwards was etched into its side, and Aaron ran his thumb gently over it, smiling to himself.

“Northeast, Mr. Van Ness.”

“Yessir.”

As Theodosia turned slowly, a leviathan on the water, Aaron stepped back, skipping down the steps and heading towards the Captain’s Cabin.

“Mr. Lee.” he called, “I will be in my quarters. Alert me immediately if there is a problem.”

Lee waved in acknowledgment, climbing the ropes to the Crow’s Nest where he would spend the next hour. Aaron continued on, reaching the door to the cabin and going inside. 

Shutting the door behind him, he sighed, removing hat and placing it on the stand next to the door, followed by his coat, slowly moving it off of his aching shoulders. They had made it out of port and were moving at a steady pace away from the land, which he was incredibly thankful for.

He undid the buttons on his shirt, allowing a small silver locket which was around his neck to fall through. Listening to the sea crash against the wood of the ship, Aaron crossed the room, taking a seat at the desk in the center.

A lamp illuminated the room from the ceiling and Aaron sat heavily, his head falling back against the soft leather of the chair, his eyes heavy with lack of sleep. Involuntarily, his hand came up, taking the locket and holding it up to his eyes.

He opened it, a name intricately carved on its front, so small it was easy to miss. But Aaron didn’t miss it, he never did. It opened easily, revealing a small worn picture of a young woman, her hair up, pearls weaved into her curls, a pale yellow dress hanging from her shoulders.

She was smiling, the same smile worn by the figurehead at the front of the ship. The same smile that haunted Aaron each time he shut his eyes. The smile he longed to see again, bright, and jovial, and alive. 

“Theodosia.” his voice was soft as he stared at her, and as she stared back. 

It had been six years since he’d lost her; six terrible years he’d been at sea, on the run. She had been the daughter of a noble, a governor at one of the ports they’d stopped at when he was a younger man. He’d been sent to gather supplies when he saw her, exiting a carriage with her father.

He’d been spellbound, and for years he’d swear she was an angel sent from God to make him a better man. Her hair was up that day, pinned in the lady’s fashion, with a single loose curl falling down the side of her face. She wore a maroon dress with white frills and pearls in her hair. Always pearls.

He followed the carriage until it came to their estate, grand like all those of noble blood. Aaron stayed behind the gate, watching her silhouette from her window, grasping the bars and staring wide eyed as the shadows of her curls tumbled out of the pins. His breath caught in his throat as she paused, opening the curtains to reveal that she was looking right at him.

She had motioned for him to come, and so he did.

He climbed the vines of the mansion up to her window and sat on the balcony, not moving, frozen in awkward fear of what he was doing, for he was only nineteen at the time. But she had come out, dressed in a white silk nightgown, her curls cascading down her shoulders and a string of pearls around her neck.

“Hello.” she said and he remembered her laughing at the blush which took over his face,

“I saw you watching me from the gates,” she continued playfully, “I could have set the guards on you.”

“Why didn’t you?” he had mumbled.

“Because I think you’re handsome,” she replied, moving forward and taking his hand in hers, “and you seem sweet.”

“We’ve only just met.”

“I am told I am an excellent judge of character. My name is Theodosia.”

“I’m Aaron.”

“And what is it you do, Aaron?”

He hadn’t answered, only looked down at the cloth which was tied around his arm. Theodosia seemed to notice this because her hands moved slowly towards it and she gently began to unknot it. When it came undone, her breath hitched slightly, and Aaron covered the brand with his other hand.

“You’re a pirate.” she said, her voice a slightly higher pitch than it was before.

“I’m sorry, I’ll leave.” he turned his body back towards the vine, when her hand came up to lay on his shoulder.

“No, please.” she moved him back towards her and Aaron didn’t put up a fight. “I’m sorry, I have no place judging you. Please stay.”

Theodosia’s hands tenderly wrapped the cloth back around his arm, tying it tightly, her eyes on Aaron. And Aaron? Well his eyes were lost in hers; greener than any orchard or forest, twinkling with mirth. 

He fell in love that night.

But just like everything in Aaron’s life, the happiness didn’t last. Theodosia had insisted they run away together, away from her father, the life of a rich young noblewoman. Aaron had warned her, told her that it would be difficult.

“As long as we’re together, there is nothing we cannot conquer.” she always said, before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

So they had. Aaron convinced his Captain to allow Theodosia passage with them. They dressed her as a young man and cut her hair. She cried as they did and Aaron held her hand tightly, whispering soft words to her. 

They spent three years like this. After the first year, Theo had grown her hair out again, choosing to hide it under a hat instead. In the third year, she became pregnant. She cried.

“Theodosia,” he had said, kneeling down in front of her cot, “Why are you crying?”

“Oh Aaron, what are we going to do? We can’t raise a child at sea!”

“And why not?” he asked, his voice playfully offended, “That’s how I was raised!”

She gave a watery laugh and Aaron leaned his head up to rest his forehead against hers.

“You told me once that as long as we’re together, there is nothing we cannot conquer.” he took her hand in his, squeezing tightly, “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then there is nothing to worry about.”

That same year was when the British caught them, led by the man Aaron came to know as Jacques Marcus Prevost, Theodosia’s fiancé. They took the ship and arrested Aaron for kidnapping. That was before Prevost found out that Theo was pregnant.

“Leave her,” Aaron had screamed as the British soldiers cornered Theo against the railing, “Leave her, she has done nothing!”

“Only become a pirate whore.” Prevost snarled, slapping Theodosia across the face.

She cried out and Aaron struggled against his bonds. 

“Don’t touch her you bastards!” he shrieked.

“Don’t worry, pirate,” Prevost spat, “You’ll get your turn.”

But Theodosia turned back, her eyes filled with tears while she glared defiantly at the man before her. Her back straightened, head held high, and lips set in a thin line, the very picture of nobility. It was that moment that Aaron had burned into his mind, his angel, strong and brave, hat fallen beside her so her hair fell across her shoulders. 

Her hand lay over her stomach. 

“Better to die a pirate whore than a british trophy.” she growled, spitting in the soldier’s face.

Aaron froze.

The whole world froze.

“Theo no.”

**_BANG_ **

_ “THEODOSIA!” _

**“CAPTAIN BURR!”**

Aaron’s head snapped up, pulled from his thoughts at the sound of Van Ness crashing through his door and shouting from the deck above.

“William-”

“A ship sir,” he sputtered, “another pirate ship. And it doesn’t look friendly.”

Aaron was on his feet in a moment, grabbing his coat from the rack and pulling it on, smoothly buttoning up his shirt again to hide the locket.

“Where is Lee?”

“He’s shouting at us to abandon ship sir!”

Burr scowled, shoving passed the man and and out the door. The clouds had gathered overhead and the sea raged beneath them. Aaron went over to the railing, pulling his spyglass from his belt and looking through it. Van Ness was right, the flag raised on the ship was not one he’d seen before, and he scowled. They were gaining.

“ABANDON SHIP!” Aaron heard suddenly, “FOR GOD’S SAKE JUMP!”

Turning the corner onto the main deck, Aaron saw Lee, one hand on the ropes, leaning over the side of the ship, screaming at the crew who looked up at him and back at Aaron in confusion.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING LEE? GET BACK ON YOUR FEET!” Aaron called from across the deck. 

“BUT LOOK CAPTAIN! THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM!”

“I’M SORRY IS THIS NOT YOUR FUCKING SPEED!? I WANT MEN AT THE CANNONS, AND AT THE RAILS! THEY  _ WILL  _ BOARD THIS SHIP AND WE  _ WILL  _ BE READY!”

The crew descended into a flurry of activity as the mysterious ship grew closer, gaining on them. Aaron cursed under his breath, looking through his spyglass again at the ship. It was close enough that Aaron could see that indeed, there were many of them, far outnumbering his own crew. 

That didn’t mean he’d let them take Theodosia. They’d have to pry her from his cold dead hands.

“Are those cannons ready!?” he cried as the ship came up on their right.

“Aye sir!”

“Then fire!”

The ship shook with the explosion of the cannons and Aaron couldn’t help the grin on his face as they hit the side of the other ship. The smile slipped from his face when he saw the opposing cannons fire. They hit Theodosia hard, leaving a gaping hole in her hull. Then the ropes were flung on board.

“Fuck.”

The ship was huge, looming over Theodosia, it’s cannons three times the size of Aaron’s own. His eyes widened as men flew from the ship onto his, swinging from ropes and shrieking like animals as they landed on his deck. 

With a snarl on his face and a twinkle in his eye, Burr unsheathed his sword, followed by his crew, and the moment their boots hit the wood of the ship, they brought their swords down. The sound of metal against metal filled the air, blood pouring onto the wood as the waves licked at the side of the ship. 

At one point he thought he saw Lee jump from the ropes into the sea but he had no time to check, as he ran through another one of the raiders. Aaron noticed as he fought, how wild and uncalculated they used their weapons, and a smirk crossed his lips as first one then another fell from his sword.

Aaron hopped down from the top deck, slicing, and carving almost artistically, moving over the deck as silent as a ghost. That is, until he found himself shoved against the door of his cabin, saber at his throat.

Aaron could barely see the man who had him, the clouds darkening the sky as if it were night, which it could have well been. He had no way of knowing. 

His boot came out and cracked against the man’s knee, sending him to the ground as Burr fumbled for the doorknob behind him. He got it open and fell backwards into the room, knocking over the lamp and bringing his sword up just in time to block the other man’s swing. The lantern crashed to the ground, leaving them in darkness.

“You’re good.” Burr could hear the smile on the man’s face as he spoke.

“I’d thank you,” he responded, “but you are trying to destroy my ship.”

“We won’t destroy it. It’s a nice ship. The Captain just wants it.”

“And does your captain always get what he wants?”

“Usually.”

He heard the sharp swish of the man’s sword and threw his own up, blocking it effectively and throwing the man back.

“You’d need a significant number of people to sail her.” Aaron pointed out, slashing at the man’s boots.

“We’ve got a big enough crew.” he retorted, as Aaron ducked another swipe.

“Why do you have that big of a crew?”

“For just these occasions.”

“That doesn’t seem entirely logical.”

That made the man pause. His sword was still up, but he wavered, thinking about what Aaron had said.

“Well I suppose you’re right, but I mean, if you take into account the amount spent on food and supplies for the extra crew but then subtract that from the profit we make off of this ship and it’s stores, it wouldn’t really be that much of a waste-”

Aaron kicked out the man’s legs from under him, slashing at his hand, making him drop his sword onto the carpeted floor. The man staggered back out of the room onto the deck but Aaron had him. He followed and pressed his cutlass to the man’s throat.

He stilled.

“A bit of friendly advice.” Aaron said with a grin, “Talk less.”

Suddenly he felt the sharp, cold metal of another sword at his own neck. He froze, eyes on the man in front of him who’s frightened expression turned to one of relief.

“Herc,” he cried, “always there in the nick of time.”

“He’s not wrong you know,” Aaron heard a low voice by his ear, “You really need to talk less, Laurens.”

“Whatever.” Laurens waved a dismissive hand, “A bit of help?”

“Alright, take a step back and drop your sword.” 

Burr felt the sword dig into his skin, felt the blood drip down his neck as he raised his hands, letting his sword clatter to the ground. 

“Good, that’s good. Now if you’d point us in the direction of the Captain-”

“I  _ am  _ the captain.”

The two men were quiet, and Aaron could see the outline of the man Laurens get up from the floor.

“Hey Herc, you got a light?”

“Yeah.”

Before he knew it, a lantern was being shoved in his face and he squinted against the light. He could see their faces now, the two men. One was broad, a bandana tied around his head, while the other was thin, long hair falling in ringlets and face clustered with freckles. They both wore the same look of amazement.

“ _ Damn. _ ” they said in unison.

“What is all this standing around!?” a voice called out, accent twinged with what Aaron knew to be french, “I have killed everyone  _ by myself _ , while you two stand gawking-”

“Shut up, Lafayette,” Laurens called over his shoulder, “you didn’t kill everyone _ by yourself. _ ”

“Well, mostly everyone.” The third man came up beside the other two and Aaron scowled at the sight of the blood on his sword, “What is this?”

“This is the Captain.” the man called Herc said, but there was something in his voice that Burr didn’t exactly like the sound of.

“Oh?” the man leaned into the light and Aaron saw a handsome face, long lashes, and hair tied up tightly in a bun. He leered down at Aaron before blinking in surprise, “ _ Oh. _ ”

“Yeah, right?”

“Alexandre will want to look at him.”

“No kidding.”

“What will Alexander want to do!?” A new voice called over the wind.

The three men and Aaron’s heads snapped to the right as the sky began to clear above, the clouds parting enough for them to see each other properly. Aaron quirked an eyebrow at the man who was meandering down the length of the deck towards them all.

“Well, well, well,” he said, a grin on his face as he reached them, “what do we have here?”


	2. Left with Naught but a Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @crowbalt and @wildflowers-and-a-nap for editing!!!

Meanwhile, in a bar off the coast of Jamaica, Captain Dolley Payne Todd-Madison sat in a sultry tavern, her hands tight around a bottle of rum, her eyes slits of hate and her teeth clenched in a snarl.

Correction, _former_ Captain Dolley Payne Todd-Madison. She couldn’t exactly be a captain without her ship, and that was miles away by now.

“That lowdown, slimy, fucking prick. I’ll tear his balls off, hang him from the sails by his dick. We’ll see if he can still fuck that fucking piss monkey Jefferson after that.”

The tavern keeper looked up from the counter he was cleaning and stared at the deposed Captain with weary eyes. The woman looked like death warmed over, dark rings under her red rimmed eyes. She’d been crying but did her best to hide it.

It had been 3 days prior that she’d found herself standing on the docks of the town, her...well _their_ ship nowhere in sight. Dolley knew, deep down she knew exactly what had happened, and somehow she had known that it _would_ happen.

That didn’t stop the hurt though, the sharp rip through her chest when she saw that her husband, a man she’d loved for years, had disappeared, and there was no doubt in her mind who he had run away with.  

She whipped a knife out of her belt, twisting it gracefully between her fingers as she glared at bottle in front of her.

“Fucking mutinous, cheating, lying bastard, I’ll shove this wedding ring so far down his throat-”

A high shriek echoed through the air in that moment and Dolley’s hand slipped, the knife falling from between her gloved fingers. She caught the hilt with ease, stabbing it angrily into the wood of the table, her head whipping towards the source of the noise.

Another cry pierced the air; it was coming from outside the tavern. Dolley looked around, noticing that no one else seemed to have heard it, or else they were pretending not to. Screams like that seemed to be rather normal in the small, scum-filled town she’d found herself in.

Well, found wouldn’t exactly be the word she would have used. The scream came again.

Dolley glowered, of course they could hear it, it was ear shattering. Pulling the knife from the table, she got up, her chair scratching noisily against the floor as she crossed the bar towards the door.

She ignored the looks which were sent her way, the leers and scowls. Fuck them, fuck them all, the lowlife cocksuckers. The sound of her boots on the wood echoed over the bar and she felt the hush fall over the patrons as they watched her, high back, tattoos peeking out from beneath her blouse, hips swaying steadily, and as she turned around, a glare so dark it could have sent the devil himself screaming back to hell.

“What the fuck are you jackassess lookin’ at?”

Eyes turned to tables and noise immediately filled the bar again as each person avoided the woman’s hateful gaze. They knew there was nothing more dangerous than a woman scorned and if there was one thing Dolley Payne Todd-Madison was at that moment, it was scorned.

Kicking the door of the tavern open, she walked out into the cold night air, breathing in the scent of the sea. Dolley longed for her ship, to feel the wood creak under feet as the waves crashed against the boat, and momentarily, she longed for her husband.

She shook that longing from her mind; which wasn’t too difficult a thing to do as something else immediately caught her attention.

“Help, someone please!”

“Shut up, bitch!”

Dolley’s eyes snapped to the cause of the noise, and her mouth formed a tight snarl. In the middle of the street, a young woman lay on the ground, forced there by the boot of a tall, unscrupulous looking man. There was blood trickling down the side of her face, mixing with the tears falling from her eyes.

No one seemed to be giving it any mind, even as the man pulled out a knife and held it close to the woman’s neck.

“You want me to slit your throat, you ungrateful whore?” Dolley heard him bark.

“No, sir, please!” the woman pleaded, and her breath hitched as he pressed the knife into her skin.

“You’ll fuck _who_ I say, _when_ I say, you got that? You belong to me, wretch.”

Dolley had seen enough.

Pulling her pistol from her belt, she marched across the dirt road, cocking the gun, one hand safely on the hilt of her sword if she needed it. The man didn’t seem to notice her approach but the young woman, at hearing her boots thump ever closer, looked up at her, her eyes pleading, tears streaming down her face.

Dolley swallowed the lump in her throat as their eyes met. The woman’s face was covered in bruises and there was a long, thin cut across her right cheek, blood dripping steadily from it. Dolley’s eyes moved to the man standing over her, and she raised the pistol slowly, pressing it against the side of the man’s head.

“Step back, fucker.” she growled.

The man moved his head, eyes wide in surprise as he stared at the gun in his face. Then he looked up at Dolley and his surprise turned into a dark glare. His hand tugged roughly at the hair of the woman on the ground and she let out a soft cry. Dolley pushed the gun against his cheek.

Surprisingly, the man only leered at her, a slick grin on his face.

“You lookin’ for something, bitch?”

“I said step back.” Dolley wasn’t exactly in the mood for games.

Her eyes flashed in the light of the street lamps, and she could hear the soft whimpers of the woman on the ground, even without looking at her. Her heart ached for the woman, red dress covered in dirt and blood, and her bodice torn down the middle.

Dolley’s mind raged at the man. But she breathed deeply, just as James had taught her whenever her anger got the better of her.

Memories of red hot fury filled her mind and through them, the calming voice of James calling out to her, his hands on her face, running gently through her hair. But he wasn’t there with her now. Jefferson would be the one to receive her husband’s affection now, and quietly she hoped he acknowledged how lucky he was.

The other man’s voice cut through her thoughts.

“Go on back to your bed, wench. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll come by and warm it for you later.”

That was the wrong answer.

Dolley took one slow, dangerous step towards him, her lips curling into a dark grin of her own. She shoved the gun under his chin and quirked an eyebrow when he breathed in sharply.

“How about this?” she drawled, “You let her go and crawl back into whatever hole you skulked out of, or I put a bullet so far up your ass it’ll have you singing soprano for the rest of your life.”

“Are you threatening me, bitch?” the man stood slowly, standing a good head taller than Dolley herself. “I’ll make you regret that for the rest of your miserable-”

**_BANG_ **

The man shrieked, collapsing to the ground, the hole in his kneecap where Dolley shot, bleeding profusely. She crouched down next to him, face impassive and cold.

“It’s not a threat if I do it, now is it.” she said calmly over his screams, “Now, if I ever see your ugly-ass face again _anywhere_ , you can say goodbye to your balls, got it?”

He whimpered on the ground and Dolley got up, cracking her back slightly before looking down at the woman. She was still sniffling, her face dirty, tears mixed with blood. The captain offered the woman her hand and quirked an eyebrow when she only stared at it.

“Do you like sitting in the dirt?” she asked, amusement evident in her voice.

That got the woman to glare slightly and Dolley was glad of the change in expression. She reached up, taking the sailor’s hand, pulling herself up, albeit shakily. The man still moaned and whined on the ground, holding his bloody leg, but Dolley ignored it, taking the woman by the arm and beginning to lead her away.

“Where do you live?” she asked quietly, noticing how flushed and pale the woman had gotten. She may have been a hardass, but she knew when people needed to be comforted.

“Nowhere... _anymore_.” the woman said after a pause, looking back slightly before lowering her head in shame.

“Do you have a name?”

“Maria,” she said, and Dolley couldn’t help the small smile that quirked up her lips, “Maria Lewis.”

“I have a room at the tavern over there,” Dolley mentioned, doing her best to hold Maria up as she shook, one hand on her waist while the other held her hand, “I can take a look at that cut on your face, if you’d like.”

“Why?” Maria asked warily, and Dolley noticed how tired she looked, dark circles visible under her eyes as her make-up ran.

“Because men are pigs, and you are beautiful.”

Maria outright laughed, giggling as a light blush worked it’s way up Dolley’s face. Where had that come from!? Had her husband abandoning her really taken that much of a toll on her, that she could be wooed by any pretty face?

Granted Maria was had a very pretty face.

“I don’t even know your name.” she said finally, once her giggling had subsided. She was smiling now, a small smile, but a lovely one none the less.

“Captain Dolley Payne.” she grinned sticking her hand out to the young woman.

Maria took it, shaking it softly, but Dolley only brought the hand up to her lips, placing a small kiss on her knuckles. Maria stared down at her with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk.

“A pirate captain? I thought all you pirates were marauders and villains.”

“We are.” Dolley replied with a smirk of her own.

As Maria laughed, Dolley didn’t miss how the woman still shook, or how hoarse her voice sounded, or the fact that she was still bleeding profusely. Her hold on the young woman tightened and she began to lead her slowly towards the tavern.

Maria went quiet, leaning against Dolley for support, her lips formed into a frown and her forehead wrinkled in pain. She didn’t struggle against following the pirate, instead leaned her head against Dolley’s shoulder and let out a tired sigh, ragged and sad. Dolley couldn’t help the small blush that reached her cheeks.

She kicked open the door of the building, again ignoring the stares she was given. To be safe, she pulled the pistol back out from her belt and held it close. No one made any move to stop or harass them as they made their way to the stairs.

“We’re almost there,” Dolley muttered, hearing Maria whimper slightly in pain, “almost there.”

They reached the top of the stairs and the captain led Maria to her room, opening the door and leading her inside. It wasn’t a very big room, only a bed at the wall and a desk in the corner. Dolley led the bleeding woman to the bed and sat her down, leaving her for a moment to fetch some water from the bucket she kept by the desk.

As she took a handkerchief out of her belt, one with the initials _J.M_ stitched into the corner, she thought about this all. The entire situation. She was alone, left behind, and there was Maria, beautiful...but hurt. She couldn’t ignore how her heart beat just a bit faster when she looked over at her, but this wasn’t the time.

She wouldn’t do that, it wouldn’t be real, not for Dolley at least. Not yet. It wouldn’t be fair and, Dolley smiled a bit as she thought, they both probably knew a thing or two about things not being fair.

So she soaked the handkerchief in the bucket, wringing it out, grabbing the handle and bringing them both back over to the bed.

“Do you mind if I ask about pin dick out there?” Dolley piped up, sitting down next to her and leaning in to clean Maria’s cuts with the damp cloth.

“That was James,” Dolley stiffened slightly at the name, “I- um, I missed an appointment with a client. He didn’t get his money. He was angry, yelling at me, he didn’t let me explain. Not that he would have cared anyway.”

“I should have shot him in the mouth,” the pirate captain growled, tearing off a piece of cloth from the bedsheets, and tying it around the wound on Maria’s arm, “that would have shut him up.”

Maria huffed a laugh, but her eyes were distracted. She seemed jittery, staring out the window like she needed to go somewhere. Dolley put her hand gently on the woman’s, stopping the nervous tapping she was making for a moment, startling her.

“What do you need?” she asked. It was the only thing she _could_ ask.

Maria looked at her, her gaze considering, and even slightly suspicious. Which, Dolley thought, was understandable. They’d only met a few moments before and now here they were in the same room, on the same bed, Dolley patching up her wounds. Maria was at the mercy of a pirate.

But who else would help her?

“I need your help,” she began, setting her jaw and giving the other woman a stern look, “it’s the reason I didn’t...well the reason James was upset with me. I didn’t know what to do and they needed help.”

“Who?” Dolley asked, now curious as to what could get this woman so frantic.

“Schuyler, they said their name was, two girls, obviously nobles. Couldn’t tell north from south, and they were frightened.”

“Where?” her voice was serious as well now. If there were young noble women in a town like this, they wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Last I saw them, before James found me, they were at the Church of Saint Nicholas by Burrow’s graveyard.”

That meant they were with Father Edwards. Dolley let out a small sigh of relief, the church was the safest place anyone could be on this godforsaken island, and while Father Edwards was a priest and a God fearing man, he knew how to use a pistol and sword.

“Alright, I’ll go find your girls.” she got up from the bed, pushing Maria back down as she tried to follow, “but you’ll have to stay here, you’ll be no good to me if those wounds get infected.”

Maria huffed, but sat back down, moving to take her shoes off and lean back against the headboard. Dolley crossed the room, taking her pistol off the desk where she had placed it, and brought it back over, taking out her small pouch of bullets and handing them to Maria. The woman took the gun and bag, looking up at Dolley with wide eyes.

“It should be loaded,” the pirate explained absent mindedly, “the gunpowder is in the drawer in the desk over there. Just fill the barrel, shove one of those little fuckers down, fill the pan, and cock it. Shoot any son of a bitch that comes in here that isn’t me.”

As Maria continued to stare at the pistol in her hands, Dolley went to the closet, pulling out a faded blue jacket, which she pulled on quickly. She secured her belt around her waist, pulling out her sword quickly and looking it over.

“Won’t you need this?” Maria asked, looking up at Dolley with wonder.

“I prefer not to rely on guns,” the pirate responded simply, slipping her cutlass back into her belt, “Gunpowder isn’t always reliable. Steel is.”

“If a pistol isn’t reliable, why are you giving it to _me?_ ” the other woman asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Because it’s easier to use than a sword.”

Dolley’s boots thumped against the wood of the floor as she walked to the door, throwing it open and stepping outside. She gave Maria one last look. She was leaving this woman alone in her room with all her possessions, which...actually were very few. Some extra clothes in the closet and a pair of James’ boots, but that was it.

“All you have to do is aim and shoot.” she called, grinning one last time at the beautiful woman on the bed.

“I figured as much.” Maria said with a roll of her eyes. _Ahh_ , a woman after Dolley’s own heart.

The pirate captain shut the door, going back down to the main floor of the tavern, making a beeline for the barkeep. She pulled out her knife, pushing it under the man’s chin. No one paid them any mind either, this was probably a regular occurrence.

“The woman up there is not to be touched,” she growled low, and even as the man nodded, she continued, “I find one scratch on her that wasn’t there before and it’s your neck on the line.”

Cue more earnest nods. Seemingly satisfied with the man’s assurance and fear, Dolley moved the knife back to her belt and marched across the tavern to the door. No eyes watched her go this time, all were safely locked on tables and hands.

Stepping back outside, Dolley inhaled the salt air, a feeling of purpose swelling in her chest. She marched through the streets, head high, noticing as she passed, that the asshole she’d shot in the knee had disappeared, though a trail of blood did lead away from where she’d left him.

It didn’t matter much, she thought as she reached the base of the hill. She could see Burrow’s graveyard from here, and the lights of the church at the peak. As she began to walk, her mind went to the future.

She’d make it back out to sea again, she knew that. But it would be different. She’d find James and he would have to answer to her, she’d force him to answer to her. Why had he married her if he didn’t love her, and if he _did_ love her, why she wasn’t enough.

She’d find a new crew, maybe Maria would want to come with her, leave this filthy shithole of a town behind for the British.

But right now, there were some girls in need of help and a pirate captain in need of distraction. Her eyes flashed over the horizon, dark clouds moving in slowly, and a viscous wind blowing in from the west. There was a storm coming, and Dolley hoped, only to herself of course, that James was safe, wherever he was. God knows how easily he got sick. Dolley allowed herself a small smile at the thought.

Her husband would have to wait, though he wouldn’t have to wait long.

Not if Dolley could help it.

* * *

Brown eyes stared out at the same horizon, dark and brooding, lips set in a thoughtful frown. A Captain, dressed in black stood aboard a large ship, bobbing up and down on the waves, the name  _Montpelier_ carved beautifully in it’s side.

James Madison lowered his eyeglass as he stared in the direction of a small, filthy shithole of a town he’d left behind days before. His back was stiff, and his coat fluttered in the wind. He sighed, absentmindedly taking the wedding ring around his neck in his hand, clutching it tight.

He could feel her eyes on him, from across the sea he felt them, cold, angry, and betrayed. James leaned against the railing, one hand on the wood as he ran the other over his eyes.

“You’re not still brooding, are you?” a voice asked over the ever growing wind, and two strong hands rested on James’ shoulders.

“No, I’m just mourning the loss of my testicles when she catches up to us.”

Madison was spun around suddenly, coming face to face with his first mate, Thomas Jefferson, who wore an unimpressed scowl. James scowled right back.

“She’s not gonna catch up to us,” Jefferson tried to reason, “she doesn’t even have a crew, let alone a ship.”

“She’ll get one.” James mumbled, side eyeing in the direction of the town, “You don’t know her like I do. She’ll find a crew, she may already have one. Then she’s gonna fuckin’ tail us all the way to Havana just to castrate me.”

“If anyone has to worry about ritual castration, it’s me.” Jefferson said, trying to be comforting, but James wasn’t having it.

“Oh she’ll get to yours,” he muttered, turning back around to stare out at the sea, “she’ll probably get to you first, and make me watch.”

Behind him Thomas rolled his eyes, but there was a slight pout on his lips. He could understand how terrible James felt, _hell_ he felt terrible too. He regretted it, sure. Dolley was a ball buster, but marooning her? Not one of his best plans.

“Listen, you didn’t have to agree.” he said, turning away from the smaller man, watching the crew work steadily as the wind picked up.

James sighed, feeling more tired than he had in years. His eyes were heavy, his heart beat just a little slower, and he could feel a headache coming on. He turned back towards Jefferson, leaning back against the railing and looking up at the taller man, a small smile resting on his face.

“I love you Thomas, you know I’d agree to anything to be with you. But-” he exhaled sharply, “-Dolley’s my wife. I love her too, this...it wasn’t handled well.”

“You can say that again.”

“It was _your_ fucking idea!!!”

“I never admitted to being smart!” Jefferson said dramatically, moving to stand beside James at the railing.

He looked over at his small captain, noticed the worry lines on his face, the way his hands shook, and how he muttered curses under his breath that would make any other pirate blush. Jefferson reached out a hand and settled it on Madison’s, momentarily startling the captain and stopping his twitching fingers.

“Listen, she’s gonna be fine,” James opened his mouth, as if to argue, but Thomas held up his hand, “Oh, she ain’t gonna be happy, she’s probably pissed as all hell and will absolutely string us up from the mast if she catches up to us. But I know Dolley too, and she can handle herself. She’s gonna be fine.”

James was silent for a moment, staring up into Thomas’ eyes before looking down at his boots.

“Yeah,” James nodded, “yeah, and once we reach Havana, we can steal another ship. She’ll get the Montpelier back and we’ll be home free.”

Both men sighed. It was cold, absolutely, but no one ever said that pirates were nice. They cheated, stole, and mutinied as was needed, and the crew of the Montpelier was no different. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that if Dolley had found someone else, she would have dropped James like a sack of shit.

At least, there was no doubt in James’ mind.

So he ran, ran with Thomas, the Montpelier’s navigator, leaving Dolley at the docks of some town now far behind them. He loved his wife, he really did, but their relationship...there was no trust there, both of them simply waiting for the other to strike first.

So James had struck.

The sea churned beneath them, as if it knew what James had done, and he felt himself growing weary. He scratched at the brand on his arm, covered by his coat sleeve, memories of a worse time flooding back to him, months in a British prison waiting to be hanged. He could still feel the rope around his throat.

Then again, he didn’t have to feel it to remember that it happened. The marks were still there.

As the waves crashed against the ship, James’ eyes settled back on the horizon, watching the black clouds roll in, swollen with rain. The sound of thunder shook the skies and birds screamed overhead, flying in droves towards whatever land they could reach.

Dolley wouldn’t be the only one chasing them, he thought to himself, straightening his back and holding his head high. There was a storm coming, and just like with Dolley, James would run. Because there was one thing about James Madison that not everyone knew.

He was a coward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out @crowbalt, @wildflowers-and-a-nap, @aaaaaronburr, and @onisansirius for amazing art for this story!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are amazing! And if you want to get in touch w/ me or read more of my writing:  
> I'm at @hamilanne on tumblr  
> Check out the art that goes w/ this story @wildflowers-and-a-nap


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